The London Courtyard soft landscaping

Maureen contacted StyleGardens in desperation, having struggled for some time to get various plants to grow without much success.

The intense shade and voracious slugs put paid to many of the toughest plants, and if they weren't already finished off, the frost did the job during the winter

Herbs are coping when planted on an annual basis, but there is a lot of overhanging greenery, and what the garden desperately needs is some year-round colour.

PLANTS

Believe it or not, there are a lot of plants which love to be in shade.

The difficulty in this garden is that in addition to being in shade, the plants also have to cope with being in pots, and they also have to be colourful - it would be easy to suggest ferns, for example, but there is already enough greenery.

In addition to colour, I would like to create contrasts of shape, size and texture with different types of foliage, and to use plants which flower at different times of the year, to introduce a seasonal element into the planting.

(For Planting suggestions please click on the links under the image opposite.)